Tilting back and head rest for beds.



PATENI'BD AUG. 14, 1906. F. BBUERLING. TILTING BACK AM) HEAD REST FORBEDS.

APPLIGATIBH FILED AUG. 5, 1905 H 8 IO! 1 n E 7 v V 5 0 5 A. 6 H9 flb19.." 5%, f5 .iE w i m w invarzior UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

FRED DEUERLING, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

TILTING BACK AND HEAD REST FOR BEDS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Aug. 14, 1906.

Application filed August 5,1905. Serial attracts.

To ail whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, Farm Dnunsuue, a citizen of the United States ofAmerica, and a resident of Chicago, in the county of Cook and State ofIllinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in TiltingBack and Head Rests for Beds, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to beds for invalids, and has particularreference to tilting back and head rests adapted to be operated by theinvalid himself for supporting himself m an upright or partlyrecliningposition.

The main object of this invention is to provide a tilting back and headrest attachment for beds which may be readily adjusted to variousangular positions by a person occupying the bed Without requiring theexpenditure of much strength or the assistance of an attendant and whichmay be attached to any ordinar bed-frame Without re uiring alteration ofthe frame. I accompligh this object by the device shown in theaccompanying drawings, in Which Figure 1 is a. side elevation, partlybroken away, of a bed-frame provided with a tilting back-restconstructed according to my invention. Fig. 2 is a top plan of the same,also partly broken away.

In the drawings the bed-frame is indicated at 1 and the mattress isindicated by dotted lines at 2 in Fig. 1. The mattress is omitted fromFig. 2 for the sake of clearness. The back-rest consists of a sheet 3,of canvas or the like,which is stretched across and laced to the metalframe 4. The frame 4 extends around the head end of the mattress and isof 7 suitable form, so that the sheet 3, of canvas,

will lie flat upon the upper surface of the mattress 2 when the frame 4is in the position shown in Fig. 1. The frame 4 is mounted on atransverse shaft 5, which is journaled in bearings 6, secured to theside bars of the frame 1.

The side bars of the frame 4 curve upwardly from the shaft 5, so thatthe ortion which is covered with the sheet 3 will is substantiallyparallel with the upper surface of the mattress 2. The shaft 5 has alever-arm 7 secured thereto and extending along the bed near one side.The lever-arm '7 is provided with an adjustable counterweight 8, adaptedto be shifted along said lever for counterbalancing the head-rest 4 andthe weight supported thereby. The frame 4 has a pair of depending curvedracks 9, pivotally suspended at the head end thereof and pass ingthrough guiding-bars 10 at each side of the bed. Each guide member 10 isprovided with a transverse pin or sto 11, which engages the teeth of therack or securing the hack-rest in any desired position of adjustment.

The racks 9 are normally urged out of engagement with the stops 11 bysprings 12 and are forced into engagement with the stopsll by means ofclamping-arms 13, carried by a transverse shalt 14. The shaft 14 has alever 35 connected thereto and extending along one of the side bars ofthe frame into position to be conveniently grasped by a )erson lyingupon the bed. The lever 15 is 'isposed in a substantially horizontalposition, so that its own Weight will tend to urge the clampingarins 13against the racks 1 and force the same into engagement with the stopsii. The frame i is provided at its upper end with a pair of dependinglooped straps l6, through which the patient may pass his arms whensupporting himself in a nearly upright position. These straps permit thepatient to partly raise himself from the bed to permit the bedclothes tobe changed, &c.

The operation of the device shown is as follows: An attendant adjuststhe Weight 8 along the arm 7 so that it will counterbalance the weightof the frame 4, together with such bedclothing as is supported thereby,and in addition will tend to urge the frame at toward an uprightposition. When the lever 15 is allowed to hang free, its weight willturn the shaft 14 so as to force the arms 13 against the racks 9 andovercome the action of the springs lfZQwhich tend to push the racks outof contact withthe stops 11. In order to adjust the back-rest to adesired angle, it is merely necessary for the patient to lift the lever15 so as to release the clamping-arms 13. The spring 12 will then forcethe racks out of engagement with the stops 11 and the back-rest will befree to swing upwardly under the action of the counterweight 8. If theatient exerts an efl'ort to raise himself, the ash-rest will then belifted by the counterweight and may be locked in any desired position hmerely letting go of the lever i5. To lower the back-rest, the patientwould lift the lever 15 in the same way and we old permit'a portion ofhis weight to rest upon the haolorcst, and thus overcome the liftingtendency of the counterweight. He would then release the lever 15 uponarrival at the desired angle of inclination and the Weight of the leverwould clamp the back-rest in a fixed position.

In case a patient is very Weak the counterweight 8 may. be adjusted byan attendant so as to nearly counterbalance the Weight of the head andshoulders of the patient in addition to the weight of the back-rest andits attachment, so that it will require but little lifting exertion onthe part of the patient to raise himself to an upright position.

I claim 1. The combination of a horizontal frame for supporting amattress, a tilting back-rest pivotally mounted on said frame andadapted to lie substantially in the plane of the surface of the mattressand to be tilted at an angle thereto, a weight for counterbalancing theWeight of said backrest, a depending brace hinged to said backrest,clamping means on said frame adapted to engage said brace for securingthe back-rest in a fixed position of angular adjustment, said clampingmeans being adapted to be operated by a person reclining upon themattress.

2. The combination of a horizontal frame for supporting a matress, atilting back-rest pivotally mounted on said frame and adapted to liesubstantially in the plane of the surface of the mattress and to betilted at an an gle thereto, a Weight for counterbalancing the Weight ofsaid back-rest, a de )ending brace hinged to said backrest, clampingmeans on said frame normally urged into engagement with said brace forsecuring the back-rest in a fixed osition of angular adjustment andadapte to be held out of such engagement by a person reclining on thebed to permit of changing the inclination of the back-rest.

3. The combination of a horizontal frame for supporting a mattress, atilting back-rest pivotally mounted on said frame and adapted to liesubstantially in the plane of the surface of the mattress and to betilted at an angle thereto, a weight for counterbalancing the Weight ofsaid back-rest, a toothed rack for sup orting said back-rest in variouspositions 0 angular adjustment, a stop on the frame for engaging saidrack, and means for controlling the engagement between said rack andstop and adapted to be operated by a person reclining upon the mattress.

4. In a bed, the combination of a frame for supporting the mattress, abaok-rest pivotally mounted on said frameand angularly adjustablethereon, 9. depending rack mounted on said back-rest, a stop on saidframe adapted to be engaged by said rack for securing said back-rest ina desired angular position, means normally urging said back-rest towardan upright position, means normally urging said rack out of engagementwith said stop, and a clamping device adapted to force said rack intoengagement with said stop for locking the back-rest against movement.

5. In a bed, the combination of a frame for supporting the mattress, aback-rest pivotally mounted on said frame and angularly adjustablethereon, a depending rack mounted on said back-rest, a stop on saidframe adapted to be engaged by said rack for securing said back-rest ina desired angular position, means normally urging said back-rest towardan upright position, means normally urging said rack out of engagementwith said stop, and clamping means adapted to be operated from the bedfor forcing the rack into engagement with said stop.

6. In a bed, the combination of a frame for supporting a mattress, aback-rest hinged to tilt on a horizontal axis on said frame, acounterweight adapted to normally urge said back-rest toward an uprightposition, a rack pivotally mounted on said back-rest, a stop on saidframe adapted to be engaged by said rack, a spring normally urging saidrack out of engagement with said step, clamping means for forcing saidrack into engagement With said stop, and a lever extending along oneside of the bed, being connected with said clamping means and adaptedthrough its own Weight to normally urge said clamping means intoposition engaging said rack.

7. In a bed, the combination of a frame for supporting a mattress, aback-rest hinged to said frame and adapted to be tilted at an angle tothe mattress, a counterweight adapted to normally urge the back-resttoward an upright position, a pair of depending racks pivoted near theupper end of said back-rest, stops on the frame for engaging said racks,springs normally urging said racks out of engagement with said stops, ashaft journaled on the frame and having thereon transversely-extendingarms ada ted to force said racks into engagement With said stops, alever secured to said shaft and extending horizontally along one side ofthe frame and adapted through gravity to turn said shaft and force saidracks toward the stops, substantially as described.

Signed at Chicago this 2d day of August,

FRED DEUERLING. Witnesses:

EUGENE A. RUMMLER, GLEN O. STEPHENS.

